


your heart starts pumping schemes

by ShippingEverything



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alexei deserved better and I'm going to give it to him, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, also alexei doesnt have an official tag or a last name so we're winging it fellas, also murray is jewish, i watched st3 and Immediately started writing this, no s3 'spoilers' bc... its an au... but like its an s3 character in a ship based on s3 interactions, so read at your own risk, thats literally not important to this fic and idk if its canon but its important to Me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-06-23 18:41:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19707220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShippingEverything/pseuds/ShippingEverything
Summary: Alexei Smirnov is a Russian transfer student, Murray Bauman is a surly American cybersecurity major. Somehow, they keep running into each other.Or: Five times Murray spent time with Alexei as a friend (or pseudo-friend), and one time he didn't





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Canon: Alexei and Murray are fast friends, to both of their shock  
> Me: I want Murray to be Mean and Unapproachable so that's not allowed
> 
> Anyway there are not Nearly enough alexei fics to satisfy me and absolutely NONE of this ship so, "create the content you want to see" and all that. title from The Pointer Sister's _Neutron Dance_
> 
> Uhhh before we start, Alexei and Murray are Always speaking Russian to each other unless otherwise stated.   
> **ETA 7.13.19: all english dialogue is now BOLD! it's not the prettiest thing to look at but listen, sometimes we make sacrifices and this was the next best thing to just going in and changing the font color on english dialogue, which i'm sure none of us want to have to look at**
> 
> please enjoy!

Murray hates his job. 

He hates people, always has, and especially hates anything that requires him to be outside and easily identifiable -- which he hasn't always, but it's a hatred that grows in the hearts of everyone who majors in cybersecurity and computer science. His job, however, makes him deal with both, because his polyglot status means that they tell any international student who's struggling with their classes to go to him for tutoring and translation, and he can't quit because his post-graduation plan of disappearing off the face of the earth to live in a self-sustaining, untrackable, solarpunk paradise requires at least a _bit_ of capital. 

So he's here, on the first floor of the library, easily in clear view of fifteen cameras -- and that's not even including being in the background of people's selfies or snapchats or tik toks or what-the-fuck-ever -- waiting for some Russian who's already three minutes late. 

**"I'm going to leave,"** Murray mutters to himself, **"I'll give him one more minute and then I'm going back to my nice, safe basement to finish my _own_ fucking work." **

Murray actually starts counting, because he's just sort of like that, and gets to thirty-eight before he hears a voice say,

**"You are Murray Bauman, yes?"**

Murray sweeps his eyes over the guy -- his messy hair, his thin frame, the nervous smile, the fucking _Slushee_ in his hand -- and scowls.

"I am," Murray answers in Russian, which makes the guy's face relax in platable relief, "And you're late."

"Ah, yes, sorry," The Russian replies, speech much quicker and more natural now that he's not using English. "I got lost."

Murray gives the Slushee a pointed look. "In a convenience store?"

"On the way back," He says, but he still smiles in a sort of _'You caught me_ _'_ way. Murray's eyes narrow further. "I'll be better next time."

Murray hums noncommitmentally, not yet sure about the possibility of a _next time_. "Just take out your stuff, Mr..."

"Smirnov," Smirnov finishes, the smile softening into something more genuine, "Alexei Smirnov, but you can just call me Alexei."

Over the next hour, Murray learns three things. 1. Alexei Smirnov is awful at English. The only things he seems to have down are memorized simple sentences and, shockingly, complicated engineering jargon.

The engineering jargon, Alexei claims, is easier to pick up than _normal language words_ , but Murray would still say that he wasn't sure how Alexei got into their school, if not for the second point: 2. Alexei is G-ddamned _brilliant._ He's got a brain like a steel trap, able to recite large chunks of lectures in a language that he _doesn't know_ for Murray to translate with only his own messily scrawled, broken English questions to jog his memory. Not to say that the questions are a minor thing, because the guy has _tons_ of them, like he never stops thinking even when he can only understand a quarter of the information he's receiving, but still. 

Which naturally leads to point number 3. Alexei never stops _talking_. If he's not talking himself into circles with the limited English he knows, he's muttering under his breath in Russian as he makes Cyrillic notes (that Murray helps him turn into English when he's done), but not even only about what they're working on. It's just _noise_ , a running commentary on his thoughts, which are admittedly _mostly_ mechanical engineering related but sometimes stray to disparaging remarks about the students around them or his professors or the cashier at the local 7/11. Murray would think that Alexei forgets that _he_ can understand the Russian, if not for how Alexei still asks for translations or how he sometimes looks up at Murray with this _smile_ after he says something particularly mean, eyes twinkling like the two of them are sharing a joke, like the two of them are _friends_ , and then Murray thinks...

Well.

He doesn't know what to think. 

But he knows those three things. And, he decides as he leaves the library, he also knows that Alexei is _weird_. Murray thinks he'll tell the office to put Alexei with someone different if he asks for more help, he's not the only one fluent in Russian, after all, and he doesn't need some weirdo thinking the two of them can become _friends_ just because the school's paying Murray to help them out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alexei: hi  
> murray, being charmed against his will: what the fuck!!! what the fuck!!!!!!
> 
> im imagining them all as juniors but idk if that comes through


	2. Chapter 2

**"Murray!"**

Murray nearly jumps out of his skin when a heavy arm drops itself over his shoulders as he's leaving class, pulling him into a sturdy body. Jim Hopper grins down at him, looking far too much like he's trying to be charming. 

**"Jim,"** Murray replies curtly, shrugging him off and taking a step away. **"Do you need something?"**

 **"Now, why would I _need_ something?"** Jim asks, voice innocent as if he doesn't owe Murray for seventeen and a half favors at this point. **"Aren't we friends? Can't I just want to talk to a friend?"**

**"Friends don't bullshit each other. What the hell do you want?"**

Jim sighs deeply, like _Murray's_ inconveniencing _him_. **"Since you're pulling my leg, there is _something_ you could help me with; Joyce -- Joyce Horowitz, she's in Woman's Studies, I'm sure you remember her -- has this,"** He pauses to frown, scrunching up his nose, **" _Friend_ , some guy she met at at a poetry reading, I guess, and he's helping her with some class or another and she wants to thank him, but the issue _is_ , he's Russian and she doesn't know what Russian people do for stuff like that."**

Murray pushes up his glasses to pinch at the bridge of his nose. He's starting to get a headache. **"And where do I come in?"**

**"Well, you know Russian, right?"**

Murray looks at Jim blankly. Jim stares back, eyebrows raised like he didn't just say something ridiculous. **"James. Jim. _Hopper_. Do you know how big Russia is?" **

Jim shrugs, because _of course he does_ and says, **"It can't be all that different throughout, right?"**

 **"'It can't be all that different-' _Jim_. It has the _largest landmass of any country_ ,"** Murray says. He doesn't tell Jim that a lot of that landmass is inhabitable or nearly so, because that's not the point right now. **"What do people in California do to show thanks, Jim? What particular rituals do they have? Do you know?"**

**"No, but-"**

**" _People are not a monolith_!"** Murray shouts, waving his arms more than is probably necessary. 

**"I know that, of course I do,"** Jim soothes, though he looks at least a little cowed. **"Listen, how 'bout you come around tonight, both of them will be there. You can talk to him, figure out where he's from, and _then_ figure out what the best way to thank him would be."**

 **"I,"** Murray starts, before cutting himself off with a loud sigh. He returns his fingers to the bridge of his nose. This is probably going to be more trouble than it's worth, but it'll be even more annoying if he doesn't just give in now; Jim, for all his faults, is _incredibly_ tenacious. **"Fine. I'll do it, but you _owe me_ , for real this time."**

 **"Yeah, of course!"** Jim says, though he's already walking off, **"7 tonight, alright? My place!"**

Murray is already regretting this. 

That night when he arrives at Jim's, he only continues to regret it when he realizes that Joyce's new Russian friend, seated quietly at Jim's kitchen table, is none other than Alexei Smirnov.

 _What was he doing at a poetry reading?_ Murray wonders, though he just says, **"Oh, it's you."**

 **"You know Alexei?"** Joyce asks, at the same moment that Jim says, **"See, I told you Murray would help."**

Alexei, for his part, just lights up. **"I hoped to meet you again,"** He says, in better English than their first meeting. Murray nods, avoiding having to say that _he_ had hoped to avoid the odd Russian for pretty much forever. 

**"We were just about to order a pizza,"** Joyce says, already looking hopeful like Murray's about to save her from a cliff. **"What do you like on it?"**

**"Peppers-"**

**"Wait a second, who said we were letting them decide on pizza toppings? It's _my_ apartment."** Jim says, frowning. Joyce whirls around to scowl up at him.

 **"Don't you start on that,"** Joyce snaps, **"You _know_ how to act towards guests-"**

 **"Start on _what_?"** Jim bowls on, talking right over her even as she raises her volume, **"Is this not my place? I can _choose_ how I act-"**

Murray sighs and goes to sit beside Alexei, who's following the bickering like it's a tennis match, switching to Russian to say, "They'll go on like this forever."

"Yes, I've experienced it before," Alexei agrees, nodding. "It's just fascinating how they can turn the smallest things into arguments."

"It's all the unresolved sexual tension they're both trying to ignore," Murray mutters, both because it's true and because they're _exhausting_. 

Alexei turns to Murray, alarmed. "They're _not_ sleeping together?" 

"No," Murray confirms. Alexei's eyes widen in shock before he starts laughing, bright and joyful sound ringing loud in the apartment. It cuts into the lovebirds' quarreling, causing Joyce to look at Murray with a single, judgmentally raised eyebrow. Murray feels his face warm up under the scrutiny and is exceptionally grateful for how his beard will hide it. He shrugs at Joyce and she rolls her eyes before going back to... trying to get Jim to order more pizza than he wants? Murray isn't entirely sure. 

"What's so funny?" He asks Alexei, instead of letting himself get involved in that nonsense.

"They sound like my _parents_ ," Alexei explains, still laughing. Murray's own lips twitch at that and at the pure amusement in Alexei's eyes, but he doesn't allow himself to give into the smile.

"Well," Murray starts when Alexei fully calms down -- though his eyes still crinkle like he could start up again at any time. "The _not_ married couple wants me to ask you what they can do to thank you for the help you've given her in class."

"Oh, they don't have to thank me," Alexei says, waving a hand, before pausing to think about it. "Actually, she can thank me by calling off her bodyguard." 

"Jim?"

"Yes, her 'Hop,'" Alexei confirms, adding in a faux-terrified shiver, "He looks at me like he wants to rip my fingernails off every time I speak to her."

Murray rolls his eyes. That _brute_. "He's just jealous. He never learned how to properly show emotion, unfortunately."

Alexei seems to find this humorous as well, chuckling. "I assure you, he has nothing to be jealous of."

"I've told him that she's interested in him before but he refuses to hear it-"

"No, no, not that I disagree that they have a clear mutual attraction, it's just that," Alexei pauses with a hum, warm eyes turning serious as he searches for something in Murray's face. Whatever it is, he must find it because he smiles and continues, "My, ah, _tastes_ don't quite run in that direction. Hopper has nothing to worry about from me."

 _Oh_ , Murray thinks, eyebrows involuntarily shooting up, _Oh!_ "I could let Jim know that. He'd back off."

"No, no, that's nothing he needs to know," Alexei says with a shrug. "You can tell him I am uninterested in Joyce, but the other part is, ah, **need to know** ," Alexei finishes in English with a wink. 

_Wait, what?_ Murray thinks, but before he can ask, Joyce interrupts with, **"What's need to know?"**

Murray startles a bit, leaning back from where he'd turned towards Alexei during their conversation. Somehow, despite the fact that they were literally talking about Joyce and Jim, Murray had almost forgotten that the other two were there. 

**"He wants to know what pizza we're going to have,"** Murray easily lies, when Alexei offers up nothing but a smile. 

**"One meat eater's and one veggie,"** Jim says, sighing like a man who's bearing a great weight, which let's Murray know that Joyce won their little argument even more than her smugness does. They order the pizzas and eat, the conversation coming more easily than Murray might've guessed, but his mind keeps getting stuck on Alexei's playful _Need to know._

What does that even _mean_?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alexei: im gay and i think it's important for you to know that  
> murray: ?????????????????????????????????????????????????
> 
> also three things:
> 
> 1\. this fic is almost done, as in i'm going to finish it tomorrow afternoon, so i'll probably post chapters Fairly Quickly (one a day???? technically it'll have been 2 in less than 24 hours today so Who Knows) 
> 
> 2\. alexei was at the poetry reading bc he likes the cadence of voices even if he can't understand all the words, also because he likes Coffee Abominations and the poetry reading cafe has ridiculous specials all the time
> 
> 3\. joyce is Actually a gender and sexuality studies and education double major (though the department Used to be woman's studies, even tho it contained gender and sex stuff, and hopper just,,, calls it woman's studies anyway. i promise im a hopper fan but he'd just be Like That). she wants to be a teacher bc i said so! hopper is undecided despite being supposed to have already declared his major, and when his academic advisor Forces him to declare his major before spring semester, he'll choose english because he has the most credits in it and thinks it'll be easy but then, he'll fall in love with literature as he takes the higher level classes and write his thesis on toxic masculinity in 19th century literature


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I,,, should've waited to post this,,, but there are Still almost no other fics and i needed to Share good content w all of you super kind people

When Murray asked his lab partner if he could come over to get some notes and got the reply _"sure ig but i have some ppl over rn jsyk_ _,"_ he didn't expect to walk into a verifiable house party. 

_I don't need the notes that much_ , Murray thinks, immediately, standing on the lawn and looking up at the house with distaste, _I can get them tomorrow, I can just go home._

He's halfway through convincing himself to turn around when his conscience, an annoying voice that sounds suspiciously like his mother, reminds him that he already told his partner that he was coming, so it'd be _rude_ to not find him. As he sighs deeply and resigns himself to wading his way through the party, he's grateful for his height so he can at least easily see over most people and avoid the rowdiest parts. Still, he's scowling as he picks his way through, up to the moment that someone tugs on his arm. 

"Murray Bauman!" A delighted, Russian, _very_ drunk voice cries. Murray finds himself turned to see Alexei, beaming at him with alcohol-flushed cheeks. "It's so good to see you!"

"Hey, have you seen-" Murray starts, cutting himself off as Alexei kisses his cheeks twice, once on each, and then pulls back. "... What was that."

"That's how we greet friends in Russia," Alexei says, through his eyes are crinkled with barely suppressed mirth and mischief. Murray wills the flush from his cheeks and scowls, but Alexei ignores that, continuing to say, "And we are friends, yes?"

Murray wants to say no, of course he does, but he feels pinned under the intense focus of Alexei's eyes, even as Alexei sways gently in drunkeness. Murray breaks contact, looking back over the party and conceding, "I suppose so."

Alexei claps him on the arms happily. "Then, please, call me Alyosha. My closest friends do."

"You barely know me."

"No, but I want to. I would like to be closer to you, Murray Bauman," Alexei insists easily, still grinning and looking at Murray like- like- like something Murray can't quite pinpoint. 

It's weird.

"Besides, it's not as if I'm asking you to call me Alyoshenka," Alexei continues, smile twisting ever so slightly into a smirk, "Though that would be fine with me."

Murray feels his face warm up again at offer of the pet name and he laughs awkwardly, "I wouldn't."

Alexei shrugs in a _Your loss_ sort of way, but before he can say anything else, a severe looking man comes up and grabs his arm tightly. 

"Alexei," The new man -- Russian as well, by his accent -- says, "Can you not do your job for once without being distracted by every mediocre student who clamors for your attention or asks you to pronounce a ridiculous English word? You're meant to be exchanging information, not dallying with _Americans_."

"This American speaks Russian," Murray cuts in. He doesn't add _douchebag_ to the end like he wants to, if only because he doesn't know how to properly convey the sentiment in Russian. The shock in the new guy's eyes almost makes up for it. "It was good to see you, but I guess I should let you go now."

"No, no, don't leave on Grigori's account," Alexei pleads, taking Murray's hands in his own, "He's harmless."

Murray, who was skeptical of Alexei's claim to start with, becomes even more so as Grigori's frown twitches deeper at Alexei's words. "No, I'll see you around, Alexei-"

"Alyosha," Alexei interrupts, firmly but kindly, fingers squeezing Murray's, "Please."

Murray clears his throat and tries to look away from Alexei -- through that only leads him to looking at Grigori, who is glaring like looks _can_ kill, so he just goes back to Alexei's river-stone eyes. They're wide and pleading, warm enough to melt, and his smile's something nervous and hopeful.

"Fine," Murray says, eventually. "Alyosha, then. I'll see you around, I'm sure, but I better go."

Alexei nods, but leans in and gives Murray another kiss on the cheek, just one, more lingering than the greeting kisses, "Until we meet again."

"Uh, yeah, that," Murray agrees, a bit flustered. He vaguely remembers greeting kisses being a thing he'd learned about, but he's not sure about parting ones. Is that a Russian thing or just an Alexei thing? Murray shakes the thoughts, deciding he can't worry about that right now, and turns to leave the party. Still, no matter how he tries to steer his thoughts elsewhere, the walk home is full of his head spinning over Alexei -- _Lyosha_ , jesus fucking _christ_ \-- and how fucking _confusing_ he is. 

It's not until he gets back home that he realizes he forgot the notes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alexei: *all but throws himself at Murray*  
> Murray: what,,, what does this mean.
> 
> also cheek kissing Is a russian greeting custom but died out between two men because of home of phobias, so this is basically alexei not only making up excuses to kiss murray but Once Again trying to make it Very Clear that he's gay. Also russian diminutives mean a Lot to me so here we are


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rip to my "one a day" goal, ig
> 
> anyway this one is,,, the longest one and also i love it. please enjoy!
> 
> (also thank you all for all the incredibly kind comments! i absolutely haven't responded to all of them but i read them all and they literally make my day. like i'll just be living my life and then i'll remember something one of you said and suddenly i'm GRINNING and so so happy, so like, thanks!!!!)

Murray isn't proud to say that he avoids Alexei after the party, but he does. It's not _hard_ , he just stays away from Joyce and Jim, who have decided that Alexei needs two busybody Americans hovering over him at nearly all times, and doesn't go into the engineering labs more than he has to, but he still feels vaguely bad about it. Still, feeling bad doesn't mean he's going to _stop_ , which is why he all but throws himself behind a display when he sees Alexei at the local grocers. 

Murray's only there to grab a few frozen dinners, which he clutches to his hammering heart. _This_ , right here, is why he had been avoiding Alexei; the confusion and the hodgepodge of feelings, it's all too much to bear dealing with. Things are easier this way. He stays behind the display for longer than he probably has to, before stepping out and-

Immediately running into Alexei.

 _Great_.

"Oh, Ale- er, Alyosha. Funny running into you here," Murray says, stumbling over the diminutive. Alexei, whose brows are furrowed, merely tilts his head.

"Why were you behind that cardboard cutout?" 

Murray doesn't _quite_ freeze, but his blood runs cold even as he feels his face warm. "I just... dropped some coins." 

"Oh, okay," Alexei says, confusion sliding off him like water off a duck's back. "It's nice to see you, actually, I was just thinking about you."

"Were you?" Murray asks, guilt immediately welling up inside him like blood at a bullet wound. 

"Of course. When I go weeks without seeing one of my friends, he tends to sit in my thoughts," Alexei says, casually, like he's not driving a knife into Murray's conscience. "Speaking of, would you like to join me for dinner tonight? I was just picking up a few things for my meal, actually."

"I would, but," Murray says, thinking of an excuse despite the guilt eating him up, "But I have these frozen dinners-"

"I have a freezer," Alexei offers easily, still smiling like Murray's done nothing wrong, "And a car, which will make your trip faster than a walk could." 

"You can drive?" Murray asks. _You know enough English to be able to take and pass a driver's test?_ Murray doesn't ask, but deeply wants to. He's nearly certain that Alexei couldn't drive when they first met, and it's been so long since Murray's spoken to him in English that he's not even sure how Alexei's improved. 

"Yes, and I like to think I do it well."

Murray wants to say no, to walk back to his basement with his microwave dinners and eat them in front of his laptop like he does every night, but Alexei's still staring at him so openly, so trustingly, and he finds he can't make himself continue to avoid Alexei when faced with the man himself. Murray sighs, holding his frozen dinners tighter. "With an offer like that, I can't exactly refuse, can I?"

Alexei beams and leads Murray to the register, where Murray places a divider between his stuff and Alexei's. Murray goes to pull out his wallet but Alexei puts out a hand to stop him, ignoring Murray's puzzled look to smile beatifically at the cashier and say in English, **"I pay for his also, thank you."**

 **"Your English has gotten much better,"** Murray relies, instead of voicing the refrain of _What the fuck???_ that's bouncing through his head. Still, he has to resist pressing a hand to his face in embarrassment. _Obviously his English has improved_ , Murray thinks, berating himself, _What a dumb thing to say_.

Alexei beams nonetheless as he pays for their groceries and sticks to the language, replying **"Thank you! I take classes online, and time with Hopper and Joyce has been helpful. It's, ah, I forget the word...** immersion **. Prefer Russian though,"** Alexei says brightly, before continuing in Russian with the air of a peacock flaring his plumage, "Besides, I've been told that Americans find it charming."

Murray scoffs, grabbing their bags. " _I_ don't find it charming."

Alexei pins Murray with a look that is too shrewd and too serious for their conversation. " _You_ are _quite_ unlike other Americans."

Murray swallows, throat abruptly dry. Alexei's eyes flicker towards the movement of his neck and Murray hears him hum quietly, consideringly. Murray is terrified, suddenly, though he couldn't say why. 

"Anyway," Alexei says after a moment, after an eternity, "My car's right out there."

Alexei's car is...

Murray isn't sure how to describe it.

It's an old car, Murray's no expert but he knows what a retro car looks like. It's the color of the inside of a lemon, with a red convertible top. It's gaudy, extravagant, and ridiculous. It is, somehow, the _perfect_ car for Alexei. 

Through the drive, Alexei natters on about the car -- a _"maybe gift"_ from his parents, apparently, and he loves the car too much to worry about what they may ask for in return -- his apartment, Joyce and Jim, and the _Spice Girls_. Murray, who hadn't heard the Spice Girls since he was about thirteen (and even then it was only that one famous song), is baffled both by Alexei's apparent love of the girl group _and_ how he's apparently playing one of their albums in the car. When they get to Alexei's place, Murray is shocked again; he'd been expecting an _apartment_ , because that's how Alexei had described it, but it's more of a townhouse.

"And you live here alone?" Murray asks as they walk in. It's a nice place, even just as a rental, with marbled countertops, an open floor plan, and dark wood floors. 

"No, unfortunately," Alexei says, directing Murray towards the freezer. "But my housemates aren't home often. It's Grigori, you've met him, and our... _friend_ , I suppose, Zarkov. He and Grigori grew up together. My room is the only one on the first floor, though."

Alexei gestures towards his room and Murray is oddly disappointed when he looks and sees that the door is closed, barring him from peeking into Alexei's bedroom. Murray migrates back around into the main area of the kitchen and leans against a counter as Alexei riffles through cabinets. 

"What are we having?" Murray asks.

"I was thinking spaghetti and meatballs. That's why I was getting onion and tomatoes from the store, after all," Alexei says. Murray's eyebrows rise. He had imagined that they'd have something, well, _Russian_. Borscht, maybe, or piroshki. 

"Really?" He asks, and Alexei glances back at him, laughing at whatever expression's on his face.

"It's not all butterbrot and turnips," Alexei jokes, winking. "I like western things, sometimes. Now, do you know how to cut an onion?"

Murray doesn't, actually, but Alexei is more than willing to teach him. Still, Murray doesn't think he could pass an onion cutting test when the only thing on his mind all through dinner was how Alexei had leaned over his shoulder, a warm weight against his back and he wrapped his arms around Murray's to lead him through perfectly dicing the onions. The meal is good, the company is better, and Murray actually finds himself reluctant to leave at the end of the night. 

"Let me drive you back," Alexei offers, but Murray shakes his head.

"No, you've done enough for me today, Aloysha. I can walk a few blocks by myself."

Alexei frowns slightly, but gives in to Murray's judgement. "Well, you have to promise to text me when you get home."

"I don't have your number."

"An oversight, really," Alexei says, grabbing a pen out of one of the kitchen drawers and quickly writing his number on Murray's arm. "You can text in English or Russian, Joyce has been teaching me **emojis** so I'm very good at texting now."

Murray laughs a bit at the idea of Alexei and Joyce huddled over a phone, seriously going over what each tiny picture means in the internet's lexicon. "I'm not much for emojis, but I'll text."

"That's all I can ask," Alexei says. Then, so similar to that night weeks ago, he steps ever-so-slightly into Murray's space and presses a kiss to his cheek. Murray had- _hoped_ is the wrong word, because he doesn't quite think he was _hoping_ Alexei had forgotten about the whole cheek-kissing thing, but when it didn't happen at the store, he hadn't thought to steel himself for the possibility. Though, Murray wonders if even being on guard would've prepared him for _this_ ; being in Alexei's home, surrounded by his stuff, full of a meal Alexei cooked for them, the whole act seems even more intimate.

"Have a good night," Alexei says, and Murray, feeling more than a bit flustered and odd, nods back, before jerkily placing his own kiss on Alexei's cheek, though his aim is a bit off -- he's almost certain that he gets so off center that the corners of their lips touch. When he pulls back, steps back, a pretty pink blush has bloomed across Alexei's whole face, and he looks almost comically shocked. Murray wonders, for a moment, if he looked like that before as well. 

"I'll text you," Murray says again. Alexei makes a noise, one that sounds almost choked, but he waves off Murray when the man moves to help. Shrugging, Murray leaves, beginning his walk home. 

_That,_ he thinks, _Wasn't nearly as bad as I worried it'd be_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alexei: i'm Very into americans these days  
> murray: oh??????
> 
> i chose to make murray internally call alexei "alexei" instead of "alyosha" for convenience and clarity's sake more than anything else tbQh but also before/during this chapter he absolutely didn't easily think of him as alyosha but After this? it just Flows (because they have a Bond). 
> 
> also okay sorry i have three things to say  
> 1\. alexei has been using duolingo. this isn't plot important or anything, i just wanted you all to know that this modern au alexei is using duolingo and exposure to hopper and joyce to learn english (hopper and joyce kidnapping alexei -> hopper and joyce deciding this ridiculous gay russian kid is Theirs and forcibly Making him be their friend)
> 
> 2\. yes i gave alexei the toddfather. yes he loves spice girls. no these things are not negotiable.
> 
> 3\. i... don't know if i made it Super Clear but alexei and murray are speaking russian unless stated otherwise! this chapter was Also weird bc alexei speaks english for a bit there and i had to decide whether i wanted him to talk normally (i.e. how i write for him when he's speaking russian) or if i wanted to give him some Non Native English Speaker speech quirks. I like to think i balanced it well but if it's annoying, lmk and i'll fix it up **ETA 7.13.19: i did, in fact, change some things but once again, lmk if this bolding stuff is Awful and i can change it Again. cha boy's always open to criticism**


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you didnt see on tumblr, this chapter is late bc ive been Sick. combine that w a full time job and u get some Late Content.
> 
> (also i came home from work and Intended to edit this and post it but i Did get distracted by watching Much Ado About Nothing so,,, whoops)
> 
> anyway final chapter tomorrow For Sure xoxo

When Murray answers his phone, he doesn't even get the chance to say _hello_ before Joyce is rushing out, **"Are you by campus? Alexei said he had to go to the lab, but that was _hours_ ago, and he's missing movie night, which he _never_ does. Especially not when we're watching Star Trek and Hopper's agreed to put on Russian subtitles."**

Murray supposes that his first thought being _Why wasn't_ I _invited to movie night?_ instead of _What????_ is an indicator of becoming more used to Joyce. 

**"I'm... around campus,"** Murray says, already putting on his jacket and grabbing his keys, despite the fact that his rented basement is a good 10 minutes away from the main part of campus, much less the engineering labs where Alexei will be found. Joyce, if she's already at Jim's, is probably closer than him. **"I can run by and remind him. He probably just forgot."**

 **"I know. I just... worry,"** Joyce says, which, _understatement of the year_. **"With those _friends_ he keeps..."**

Murray frowns. He knows exactly who Joyce is referring to; it seems that with every Russian acquaintance that Murray meets, no matter how fleetingly, he becomes more and more convinced that all the Russian international students -- bar Alexei, obviously -- are chosen specifically for their creepiness. Murray trusts Alexei to take care of himself -- and, failing that, Murray certainly would be willing to dox someone for Alexei -- but still, there's a spot in his chest that twists at the prospect of something being wrong with Alexei. "I'll drop by, Joyce, no need to worry about it."

They say their goodbyes and Murray puts his phone away, focusing on the walk ahead of him. The branches above and around him are nearly bare. Murray used to hate this time of year, when full trees became empty harbingers of the winter to come; he had thought it a lonely and dark time, but as he walks he sees the piles of brightly colored leaves, all changed and moved, yes, but not quite alone. _It's hopeful,_ he thinks now. 

Once he makes it to the engineering lab, his eyes are drawn to a huge engine in the center of the room. Murray isn't much for hardware, but even he can tell that it's a complex machine. On the desk beside it rests Alexei's backpack and as Murray walks closer, he can see a pair of legs that he knows are Alexei's sticking out from under it. Murray knocks thrice on the desk, causing the legs to jump, startled.

There's a rattling of metal and a muffled curse before Alexei slides out. His face, pinched into an annoyed scowl, melts when he sees Murray. 

"Oh! What bring you here?" Alexei asks, standing with a happy bounce. He's ruffled, with stained hands and a smear of grease over his cheekbone. He glows, organic and messy, in a room of hard, metallic, unyielding machines. 

"Joyce," Murray responds, dutifully turning his head to allow Alexei to kiss his cheeks, the greeting now nearly as natural as breathing. "You're missing movie night."

" _No_."

"Yes, unfortunately. She sent me because it's Star Trek and you'd never miss that," Murray confirms.

"Oh, _no_ , I _wouldn't_ ," Alexei laments dramatically, wiping his hands with the wet wipes on the desk beside them. "I just lost track of time."

"It's fine, Joyce was just worried," Murray says, then gestures at the engine. "Something for class?"

"Ah, no. Something for friends," Alexei says, through he wrinkles his nose in a way that implies 'friends' means people like Grigori and Zarkov rather than friends like Joyce or Jim -- or Murray himself, he supposes. "It's proving more difficult than expected to work out the kinks. We can go now, I'll just tell them that I had more important things to do."

"Wait, you have something- Actually, you know what, I'll just get it." Murray grabs one of the wipes and presses it to Alexei's cheek, rubbing firmly at the smear with his thumb. A brief confusion fades from Alexei's face as it softens and he smiles, the way he often smiles at Murray, gentle and private.

Alexei leans his face into Murray's hand, warmth against the point of contact, separated only by a thin wipe. Murray's thumb still strokes slowly against Alexei's collarbone but it slows, leaving him mostly just cupping Alexei's face, grease forgotten for a moment. Alexei's eyes are half-lidded and calm, though Murray can see the smile teasing at the corners of his mouth. Murray watches as Alexei's tongue darts out to lick his pink lips. Murray swallows thickly, abruptly. 

_Oh_ , he thinks, as understanding floods him. _Oh_ , again as Alexei's eyes flutter closed. **_Oh_** , he nearly breathes even as he makes himself step back, eyes wide.

"We should, uh, get going, to Jim's," Murray says, after Alexei opens his eyes with something that looks like reluctance. His voice is too high, too fast, no where near the casual nonchalance he's aiming for. He clears his throat. "It's already late enough, isn't it?"

"... Yes, I suppose it is," Alexei agrees, though his voice is heavy. "Well then. Shall we?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alexei: *sending very clear and strong signals all fic long*  
> murray: *finally receiving one* oh FUCK
> 
> yes im having them go on Absolutely Not Double Dates with joyce and hopper, yes i too want to actually see them and will Probably write smth about them, yes they're disaster outings


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i,,, tried to posted this at like 7pm,,,, and only realized it hadn't worked bc i got a comment saying that they were looking forward to the final chapter,,,,,,,,, yikes
> 
> neway please enjoy this (late) penultimate chapter!

The movie goes well, if only because Alexei is too into the movie to notice that Murray's being weird. Murray saw Star Trek once, in theaters with his synagogue, but if he hadn't then he wouldn't be able to recall anything from the movie because he spends the whole two-and-change hour runtime distracted by Alexei. They aren't snuggling like Joyce and Jim are, pressed together in Jim's oversized -- but still too small for two people -- arm chair, but Alexei's still a comfortable warmth at his side, their legs pressed together. And Alexei's _face_ , lit up by the tv as he watches this messy American sci-fi flick, elated and intrigued. Murray studies the way Alexei's hands twist in his lap, the profile of his jaw as he grins, curl of his hair against his forehead, and thinks, _Oh, I'm fucked._

After the movie, Alexei offers to drive Murray home and Murray agrees if only because he's not sure that he wouldn't walk straight into a ditch in his current distracted state, but it proves to be a nightmare anyway, because things about Alexei that he had previously found fine, if a bit endearing, are suddenly unbearable; Alexei mumble-sings ** _"Trust it, use it, prove it, groove_ _it_ _"_** along with the radio and Murray nearly slams his head into the dashboard because he's suddenly, _achingly_ aware that he finds that absolutely _adorable_. When they reach Murray's place, Murray pretends not to notice Alexei trying to kiss his cheek as he all but falls out of the car, slamming the door and speed-walking to his door, because he's fairly certain that he'll combust if Alexei's lips make contact with any part of his body right now. As soon as he's safe on the other side, Murray collapses against the door, breathing heavily. _I'm absolutely fucked._

The next morning, Murray sends a text as soon as he wakes up, just a quick _Could you come over_ _?_ to Alexei. Alexei replies almost worryingly quickly, with a bunch of OK button emojis. Murray takes a moment to shake his head fondly before standing to pace and prepare what he's going to say, what he's going to do. _How do you tell someone that you like them?_ He wonders, _Especially when you're fairly certain that they like you too, but you might be wrong because there are a lot of signs to misinterpret when it comes to Europeans._ He's still pondering this when there's a knock on his door.

"Alyosha!" Murray says as he opens the door. Alexei half-startles, weirdly, like he's not the one who knocked on _Murray's_ door. Alexei actually seems off all over; his hair is mussed as though he's been running his hands through it, and he's wearing two different -- though similar -- shoes. Murray ushers him in, watching in bewilderment as Alexei moves stiffly like a man on his way to the electric chair. Murray takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and starts, "I asked you to come over, to talk really, because last night I think I... realized something. Something I should've noticed before, I think, but-"

"Would a text not have worked?" Alexei asks, voice high and upset. Murray opens his eyes to see Alexei slumped, frowning. "I realized as well, when I dropped you off, and I am... understanding of your stance. It is within your rights, of course, but I don't understand why it must be a whole _event_."

Murray feels his own lips pulled down at Alexei's words. "I think this is a bit too serious for a _text_."

Alexei mutters something too quiet for Murray to hear before he sighs deeply and forces himself to meet Murray's gaze, brown eyes harder than Murray's ever seen them. "I just don't see the point of this. I thought last night made things quite clear, there's no need to drag out your rejection."

"My-" Murray stumbles a step back, unwillingly. He clears his throat, continuing, "My _rejection_? You could say it in a _nicer_ way than that, I'd hope that we're still _friends_ after all." 

"That's really up to you, isn't it?" Alexei grumbles, redirecting his stare to the cold floor below them. "Go ahead then, what will it be? ' **It's not you, it's me** '?"

"Wait, hold on a minute." Murray tilts his head, eyebrows furrowing. Something here isn't right, something's getting lost in translation despite his fluency in Russian. "I don't think we're on the same page here."

Alexei huffs, "Well, _obviously_ , that's the entire problem."

"I think we're on the same page _there_ , maybe, but not with _this_ ," Murray says, gesturing vaguely between the two of them. Alexei narrows his eyes at Murray, though he looks more confused than upset now, and Murray continues. "I asked you to come over because last night I figured out that I, for lack of a better term, like you. A lot."

"You _what_?" Alexei asks, reeling back, pressing a hand to his heart. "I thought you asked me to come over to tell me to stop flirting with you."

"No, no!" Murray asserts, shortening the distance between them, taking Alexei's hands. "I like the flirting, please keep flirting with me."

Alexei looks down at their interlocked hands with shock, then back up at Murray. Murray doesn't know what his face is doing, nervous as he is, but whatever it is makes Alexei smile, slow and small and soft. "I like the flirting as well."

"Good! So, then," Murray says, then stops. He didn't think past this point. He finishes lamely, "We both like each other?"

Alexei merely grins brighter, "We both like each other, and I would very much like to kiss you."

"I think I can allow that," Murray squeaks before clearing his throat. He can feel heat climbing up his neck and spreading over his cheeks but he ignores it to squeeze his eyes shut and press forward, similarly to how he's pressed kisses into Alexei's cheeks and yet completely different.

Alexei's lips are soft and yielding beneath his own. Alexei neatly runs his hands up Murray's arms and locks them behind Murray's neck, pulling their bodies together like a pair of puzzle pieces. When they part after a moment that feels taffy-stretched into eternity, Alexei asks, "Would you date me?"

"I think," Murray responds, breathless, "That maybe I already have been."

Alexei giggles at that, nodding, looking so sweet and perfect that Murray just _has_ to kiss him again, to feel the curve of Alexei's mouth against his own.

"I'm not very good at the whole relationships thing," Murray admits when he's satisfied, mumbling the words against Alexei's lips.

Alexei laughs, once, bright in a way that makes Murray almost not mind that Alexei's _definitely_ laughing at him. "The American term is **No duh** , I think."

"You don't have to say it like _that_ ," Murray near whines. 

"It's okay," Alexei says, "I knew what I was signing up for when I decided to woo the _densest_ American I've _ever_ met."

"Hey!"

"It's alright," Alexei says, giving him a peck, which easily turns into two, five, fifteen kisses. Eventually he continues, "I find it cute." 

Murray's chest swells at the compliment and he feels, in the moment, in Alexei's arms, in _totality_ , that things could not be more perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alexei: i've been trying to court you for Months but now you've figured it out and are going to officially Turn Me DOwn  
> murray, kissing him: newsflash, asshole, i've been in love with you the entire goddamn time!
> 
> also i didn't make them take off their glasses to kiss but as someone with glasses, kissing someone else with glasses is a Nightmare and really you should both just take off your specs, your eyes are closes anyway
> 
> BUT WE'RE DONE! here's to me writing more for st (i REALLY wanna write more abt hopper and joyce in this au because i LOVE THEM) and thanks so much for sticking around!!!!!!

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so so much for reading and i hope you liked it! comments, kudos, and bookmarks fill my heart
> 
> [Main Tumblr (pldubrahs)](http://www.pldubrahs.tumblr.com) | [Writing Tumblr (nacreousglowclouds)](http://nacreousglowclouds.tumblr.com/) | [Personal Twitter (@squidias)](http://twitter.com/squidias)


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